Folding crate



'E. MERTZ.

FOLDING CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED'rEs. 3, 192o.

' Pat/emasept, 7,1920.

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E. MERTZ. FOLDING CRATE. APPLICATION FILED FEB-31 i920.

1,352,299. PatentedSept. 7,1920.

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' EMIL ivrERrz, or; Tren VALLEY, OREGON. y

FOLDING CRATE.

Application led- February 3, 1920. Serial No. 356,012.V

To all whom t may concern l v Be it known that I, EMIL MERTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tygh `Valley, in the county of 1Wasco and State of Oregon, have invented new and useful ment of poultry, and has for its objectthe provision of a crate in which the sides and ends are toldable to lie between the top and bottom so that the device will occupy but little space in transportation or storage and will therefore be inexpensive to 'v ship in knock-down condition.

An important object is the provision of a crate ot' this character in which means are provided Vfor securing the top and bottom together when the crate is in either set-upj further provide bolts 18'which are extended or collapsed condition.

An additional object is the provision-ot a folding crate or' this character which will be comparatively simple and inexpensive in manufacture, highly eflicient in use, economical in service, durable, and a general improvement in the art.

lVith the above and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the crate in set-up position,

Fig. 2 is an end elevation,

Fig. lis a cross sectional view,

Fig. t is a detail view showing the locking means, y

Fig. 5 is a side elevation withV the crate in folded position,

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view therethrough, and j Y Fig. 7 is a plan view of the bottom showing the corner members engaged in the clips thereon.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates the bottom of the crate which may be formed of metal or of any suitable number of boards or the like, properly secured together. Securedat the sides of the bottom upon the top'thereof, are longitudinally extending bars 11. Hinged upon the end portions of the bottom upon the top side thereof, are the ends 12 which are adapted to lie 'Hat upon the bot-- yheads oi the bolts.

toni whenv the cratev is collapsed and which are then adapted to be flush with the top ot one of the bars-11. Hingedly connectedk with the bars 11 are the sides 13, one of which is adapted to be foldedflat'upon the folded ends and the other of whichis kadapted to be folded flatl upon the first folded side, it being noticed that one of the bars 11 is of greater height than the other wherebv` to permit this action. Y Y

In order that the sides and ends may be secured in set-up position, I provide plates 14: which are secured upon the top of the bottom at the corners thereof adjacent the bars 11 and these plates are provided with threaded holes 15.# Secured upon the sides of the ends 12 are loops 16 and secured upon the ends of the sides 13 are similar loops 17 adapted to register with the loops 16 when the sides and ends are'ii'i set-up position. I

through the registering loops 16 andl and which arey then threaded into the holes v15 in the plates 14. These vbolts have their heads designated by thenumeral l19. Y

The top of the crate is designated by the numeral 2O and may be ofany suitable construction, either metal, wood, or screen, and this tcp is of the same Vsize and'shape as and theseflatch members` are in the natureV of hooks adapted to engage 'beneath the Y lt is believed from the above description, that theconstruction of the crate and its setting up will'be thoroughly understood without further elaboration. Y

lll/Then itis desired to collapse the crate,

bers 22 out of engagement with the bolts 18, unscrew the bolt-18 from the'plates 14, remove the bolts, and then swing the the bottom 10. The top is designed. to tit it is first necessary to swing the loop memends onto the bottom and then swing one 1 l side onto the rolded ends, and then the other side onto the first named Y side.,Y lt will be observed that l make use of clips 23 secured Y upon the top of the bottom within which the bolts may bc engaged prior to the swingp bodyV ot the crate by means of hooks 245 which are or. may not be spring hooks, ,as preferred, which are secured to the bars ll, and which are engageable within screw eyes carried by the top. l/Vhen the crate is thus collapsed and secured it will be seen that .it will occupy but small space during storage or transportation and will therefore be economical in shipment.

While V have described the device throughout as a crate, it is ol course to be readily understood that it may be formed of slatted material and be thus adapted for use as` coop for the shipment .oi poultry oithe like. It will also be observed that it may he termed oi wood, metal, or screen and. it is to be understood thatV I reserve Y the right to maize any other such changes as Y tail within the scope of the following claims.

l-laving thus described my invention, l claim: n

15A folding crate comprising Ya bottom,

g sides and ends hinged upon the bottom,

loops carried by thel ends `of the sides andV ends and adapted to `be brought into regis` tration, corner bolts Ypassing through the registering loops and` threaded into the bot-v ,:tom,ra top engaged upon the heads of the Y bolts and prevented thereby from longitu-V dinal orrlateral displacements, and means from the bottom.

2. A folding crate comprising a bottom, sides and ends hinged thereon,'loo`ps carried by the sidesrandends and adapted to Vbe brought' into registration, bolts passing through said registering' loops and engaging the bottomjand Vhaving angular heads,`a top resting upon the upper edges 'of the sides and ends and having holes through which the heads or" the bolts pass, and members carried by the top and detachably engaging beneath the heads whereby tov holdthe top against movement away iro'ni the bottoni.

3. A folding crate'comprising abottom, sides and vendsl hinged thereon, loopsV car.H ried by the sides and endsA and'adapted to be brought into registration, bolts passing through said loops Vand engagingthe bot-Y toni, a top seating upon the upper edges-etl the sides Vand Yends and 'having holes through which the heads of the bolts pass,

andfpivoted arms carried upon the'top and.

formed. with notches engageable'upen said bolts beneath the heads thereof wlieiebygte' movement away from' hold the top against the bottom. Y y y In testimony whereorn Vl affix my signature.

- Misura] 

